Straightening from her bow, she took a moment to observe him in more detail, noting what she hadn't before. Silvery white threaded through some of his scales.
He was old. Much older than the ones she had met before.
"This is the second time alu-onghas saved me," Kira said.
She didn't know whether to be concerned about that or not. Her debt to these strange creatures seemed to grow every time she turned around.
"Why?"
From what she'd inferred from Harlow and others, thelu-ongwere treasured by the Tuann in the same way a god might be. They were worshipped from afar but didn't have much interaction with the Tuann.
She found it strange that they'd concern themselves with her small existence.
You still have a task to complete. It would be a shame if the machinations of others got in the way of that.
"What does that mean?"
Thelu-onglowered its head until an eye as large as her body was directly in front of her. For a moment, Kira caught the impression of galaxies in its depths.
In your heart, you know what I mean. Not everything will remain true when put into the crucible.
Kira's forehead furrowed. He might think she knew what he was talking about, but she was as lost as she'd been before this strange conversation.
Thelu-ong's attention shifted to over her shoulder.The rot has grown. Soon it will need to be excised.
A heavy thud came from behind her, followed quickly by a second one.
The intensity of thelu-ong's stare froze Kira in place in much the same way a snake did a rabbit right before it struck.
One evil deed does not make a person evil. Nor does one good deed make a person good.
"Well, that's cryptic," Kira said.
Thelu-ongsank into the lake. Light skimmed beneath the water's surface. When it was gone, the heavy weight of thelu-ong's mind disappeared too.
"Kira!" Graydon's powerful strides carried him over to her.
Before she had time to react, she found herself enveloped in his embrace. His hand landed on the back of her head, pushing her head more firmly against his chest.
At any other time, Kira would have protested and done considerable damage at being manhandled without her permission. It was only because she felt the tremble in his hand and sensed his disquiet that she fell silent, letting the embrace lengthen.
Graydon's smell, one that spoke of a summer storm, surrounded her.
"You are bad for my heart," Graydon said into her ear.
Kira's response was muffled against his shoulder. "Now you get it."
Graydon's cheek brushed hers. "You make up for it in other ways."
Kira's smile was brief. He said that now, but what about in the future when it became clear she wasn't going to stop?
"If thelu-onghadn't spit you out, I would have gone in after you."
Kira slanted him a sideways glance. "And what good do you think that would have done?"
They would likely have both perished at that point.
Graydon's grin was roguish. "I'm sure I could have figured something out."
